Psychology - Stress Polly A state of physical and psychological tension produced, according to the transactional model, when there is a mismatch between the perceived demands of a situation (the stressor/s) and the individuals perceived ability to cope. The consequent state of tension can be adaptive (eustress) or maladaptive (distress).Stress results in arousal, making the person or animal ready torespond in situations that threaten survival; for example, when amouse sees a cat.Or, when you need to get an assignmentdone by the following day, you'll feeldistressed, the response being aphysiological arousal and increasedmotivation/concentration.However, stress can have the opposite effect. THE AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM Your Nervous System consists of two main parts CNS: central nervous system ­ the brain and spinal cord. PNS: peripheral nervous system ­ all other nerve cells in the body.

Page 3

Here's a taster:

Psychology - Stress Polly Homeostasis is the name for our "steady state" - a result of our ANS's. This is the strive to return the body back to normal after stress. The sympathetic branch deals with the emergencies and hypes the body up ready for "fight or flight" andthe parasympathetic branch calms it down (from its previously stored energy) andstrives to balance the body out when the emergency is over. The body likes to do this as quickly as possible.…read more